Theater troupe brings Civil Rights to life for Jackson students

Theatrical productions of “Struggle for Freedom” and “George Washington Carver and Friends” will be put on for local school students at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, in the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center at Western Carolina University.

Bright Star Touring Theatre, a national professional touring theatre company based in Asheville, is also taking the production to students in Swain County in during February, which is recognized as Black History Month.

The Jackson County Arts Council is accepting donations that will go toward these performances and the cost of bussing the students to and from the productions.

“Struggle for Freedom” seeks to honor the American Civil Rights Movement by celebrating key moments of the struggle. The life and work of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. provides the backdrop to scenes that recreate the Montgomery bus boycott, the March on Washington, the Woolworth Sit-ins and much more.

“George Washington Carver and Friends” offers fast-paced and accessible introduction to many influential black Americans who have shaped our nation over the last 150 years, including the lives and accomplishments of Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, Thurgood Marshall, Madame C.J. Walker, and other famous leaders.

Bright Star Touring Theatre serves nearly 1,000 audiences annually with a variety of programs ranging from Heroes of the Underground Railroad to Aesop’s Fables. The company is committed to providing professional theatre to audiences at an affordable and all-inclusive rate.